Some temporary flats under ‘light public housing’ scheme could cost more to build than permanent homes, minister reveals

Hong Kong’s housing chief has revealed that construction for some temporary public flats under a new scheme designed to create 30,000 homes could cost more than permanent units, amid calls from lawmakers to disclose additional details about the project to justify the expenses.

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin on Monday said flats in low-rise buildings under the “light public housing” scheme could cost HK$550,000 (US$70,603) per unit to build, while construction fees for those with 16 to 18 floors were higher.

“Considerations are different for high-rise light public housing flats. The wind, structure and foundations are very different. In this case, a temporary housing unit under the scheme will cost around HK$680,000, similar to the HK$650,000 cost of a permanent public flat,” Ho said at the Legislative Council’s housing panel meeting.

At the meeting, about 10 lawmakers urged the government to justify the construction costs associated with the scheme, which was proposed in October in a bid to create transitional homes for low-income families.

Lawmaker Chan Hok-fung said: “Permanent public housing flats can be used for more than 50 years, but light public housing is only for five years. The government has to explain why it is much more expensive.”

Ho explained that temporary housing sites had to be built quickly, adding some of the larger ones had higher infrastructure costs, while permanent housing flats were mass-produced with more effectiveness.

The Housing Bureau is hoping to secure a HK$32 billion lump-sum grant from Legco in the first quarter of next year, an amount which would include a HK$26.8 billion design and construction fee and infrastructure costs amounting to HK$600 million.